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Noodler's Black Swan In Australian Roses, Version 3


yogalarva

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As most of us know, sometime in the middle of 2014 there was a major color change in Black Swan in Australian Roses (henceforth referred to as BSiAR). At that time, I had a bottle of the original color, which I view as version 1, obviously with the understanding that there can be slight variations between Noodler’s batches such that two bottles might not be exact matches anyway. I found the more purple color to be quite stunning, and that is what I will call version 2. I traded my bottle of version 1 for what was hoped to be a bottle of version 2 (I sent out my bottle and the other person had one sent directly to me from Amazon), except that by this time Nathan Tardif seems to have tried to get back to the original color and thus we get version 3, which is the ink that I will be reviewing today.

 

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Purely for the sake of comparison, I dug out a sample that I happened to have from my original bottle and can show you a swab of version 1 and 3 together:

 

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As you can see, it appears that version 3 is not quite as dark as the original, but it seems to recapture the pink-ness better. I still would probably love to have a bottle of version 2 over this one, but I also suspect that anyone who had a bottle of it either loved it and won’t part with it or has already traded it away.

 

fpn_1422531537__tumblr_inline_nixrlycxqn

 

I like this ink. It’s a really fun color and mostly well-behaved except on awful paper, though I would wish for a bit more shading from this iteration. I found that the darker color of version 1 gave me the perfect amount of shading, but of course that’s completely subjective.

 

fpn_1422531566__tumblr_inline_nixrq0t76a

 

Another nice thing about this ink is that it has a fair amount of water resistance for this color. For me that allows it to be in my family of “daily user” inks, though I don’t often use it because it’s not quite a bland as I prefer to everyday use.

 

Overall, I think that this is a solid ink and you won’t go wrong picking up a bottle. Especially since Noodler’s go for ~ $13/3 oz here in the States, if you like the color it’s a low risk purchase.

 

View a full page scan of the review here.

 

This ink was received as part of a trade. I am not being compensated for this review in any way. All opinions above are my own and you are free to disagree with me if you like.

Fountain pen blog | Personal blog

 

Current collection: Pilot Vanishing Point, TWSBI Vac 700, Kaweco Al Sport, Lamy Safari, Nemosine Singularity

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Does version #3 still have the "black swan" effect? That was the only thing I wasn't all that wild about in the original formulation. I know a lot of people complained mightily about the more purple tone of version #2, but I thought it looked pretty in the scans and reviews I saw.

I have a bottle of the original, and a sample vial (unopened) from 2013 -- not sure which formulation that one is.

I don't remember offhand how well version #1 for water resistance. The newest formulation seems to be reasonably good.

Thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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I had a similar experience. I have the original #1 version of BSiAR; loved the purple #2 version, but when I bought a bottle I received #3. While initially extremely disappointed, I have come to really enjoy #3. I still really want #2, but have given up hope of getting a bottle.

 

#3 is much more pinkish to my eyes than the original, which was too dark and too brown for my personal tastes. I enjoy #3 and use it frequently. Still wishing I could get a bottle of #2 though!

Tessy Moon



My thoughts are filled with beautiful words for the King, and I will use my voice as a writer would use pen and ink. Psalm 45:1


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I believe the bottle I bought was the "second" version. I purchased it 7/16/14 from I Sell Pens & it was SURE more purple than the swabs were showing on any site. I filled a pen once & have not used it again. If you really want it let me know how to ship it & I will gladly trade with you. No sense having something you aren't using that someone else wants. I have plenty of other purple inks I can use when I want to.

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I believe the bottle I bought was the "second" version. I purchased it 7/16/14 from I Sell Pens & it was SURE more purple than the swabs were showing on any site. I filled a pen once & have not used it again. If you really want it let me know how to ship it & I will gladly trade with you. No sense having something you aren't using that someone else wants. I have plenty of other purple inks I can use when I want to.

 

Message sent!!!!!

Tessy Moon



My thoughts are filled with beautiful words for the King, and I will use my voice as a writer would use pen and ink. Psalm 45:1


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I kind of wish I'd stumbled upon this sooner. I just bought a bottle and am really hoping for the purple-r version of BSinAR. Not the AR/ER blend (as I see it now, at least)... I wonder if adding a [very] small bit of my Air Corp (blue/green/black) would both return the "black swan", which seems to be missing in the example above, and make things a little more purple too.

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Oh, that's what happened with my "BlacK Swan". I had seen that ink tested and liked it, and then… after much thought, had a bottle delivered from Amazon. Since then I have been trying it on Ef, F, then a music nib and it is still a Faded Pink that I don't recognized as the color I fell in love with. I DON"T LIKE IT! I would exchange it for any other darker pink like Diamine Claret or anything similar in same price range . It is not useful to me.

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Oh, that's what happened with my "BlacK Swan". I had seen that ink tested and liked it, and then… after much thought, had a bottle delivered from Amazon. Since then I have been trying it on Ef, F, then a music nib and it is still a Faded Pink that I don't recognized as the color I fell in love with. I DON"T LIKE IT! I would exchange it for any other darker pink like Diamine Claret or anything similar in same price range . It is not useful to me.

 

I have a partially used 30ml bottle of Diamine Claret I'd happily send to you if you're interested. I got a fill or two out of it and I prefer Noodler's Cactus Fruit Eel for the purple undertones.

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I have a partially used 30ml bottle of Diamine Claret I'd happily send to you if you're interested. I got a fill or two out of it and I prefer Noodler's Cactus Fruit Eel for the purple undertones.

 

Deal!. I will send you the Black Swan"... Claret is one of my preferred inks from Diamine. Let's get details on PM. I really didn't know what to do with it!

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